Wichita eagle., 1887-07-01
aai1SEs eagle
THE "THUNDERER."
INTERESTING TALK WITH THE MAN
AGER OF THE MIGHTY TIMES.

! but Shabby Room for Penny a Lin
7 ers-sIechanical Facilities.
The other day 1 had long talk with
Or. Mcdonald, the manager of The Lon
don Times. This newspaper is one of the
most exclusive in London. It never di-
vides its news with any paper, however
remote. The Times is the highest priced
newspaper in the world. 1t is sold at
three pence, or six cents of our money,
while every one of its principal competi-
tors is sold at one penny, or two cents of
our money. 1t steadily holds its own in
spite of this high price.
! have never seen any newspaper estab-
lishment which has such a combined air
of a war office and monastery. AL
though situated in one of the nOlSlest
quarters of the city, when once you are
fairly behind its solid walls you hear only
a soft, confused murmur of the roar in
the streets. Unlike the greater part of
our newspaper Offices its space is entirely
occupied by the newspaper publication
and staff. No foreign element is per-
mltted to occupy the remOtest corner of
the establishment No one is permitted
to enter the building beyond the domain
of the business department except he has
a personal acquaintance with the editor
or u trustworthy letter of introduction to
him. Every one in the employment of
this paper is expected to guard all of the
regular business proceedings and work of
the Office as if the most trivial matter
were grave state secret.
ONE OF THE ROOMS.
The room where / was received was
large and high, lighted by two great WIN
dows devoid of drapery. The walls were a
dull yellow gray, with one picture hanging
thereon. This was of BUlrRun Russell, the
Times famous special correspondent. The
picture must have been painted many
years ago, as it is quite dimmed with age
and coal SCOT. 1t hangs directly over the
heavy, dark, wooden mantel, underneath
which glowed and snapped bright, open,
soft coal fire. There were half dozen
very heavy mahogany chairs in the room,
upholstered in dark green leather. One
chair had mahogany writing leaf on its
arm. The desk of the manager. in the
center, was very plain and contained but
few papers. Back of it hung a great
white chart of the construction Of sentences
in the French language. To the right of
the desk was a broad, luxurious light gray
green chintz covered sofa, large enough
and wide enough to rest the Cardiff giant.
In the corner beyond this was a plain,
handsome dark book case, with glass doors.
This case was filled with works Of refer
ence only. The carpet was dark, dull
red The room was almost severe in its
simplicity, and yet it seemed thoroughly
complete and satisfactory
Dr. Mcdonald, the manager, received
me with cordiality that is unusual for
publisher to show to a visitor who calls
during working hours. He gave me more
time than the president of the United
States could reasonably hope to obtain
from a New York editor, if he sought q
consultation with him during working
hours. DR.. Mcdonald personally showed
me through The Times establishment in
stead of turning me over to the tender
mercieS of a messenger. | do not propose
TO give detailed description of the
mechanism of this publication office, but
merely to note few things that struck
my mind. In the first place the editorial
rooms would interest most American
newspaper men. Every prominent writer
on the paper had a large room to himself,
furnished in the same style of solid com
fort and simplicity rs the manager office.
In each room sparkled an open fire. In
each there was a library of reference. In
this monkish solitude, in front of a glow
ing fire, with his books and papers about
him, guarded against any possible intru-
sion, if ever writer should be inspired to
do good work he surely would be in Sucls
surroundings. But these writers are not
permitted to select their own subjects.
They are given their subjects and told how
to treat them by the manager. The rest
is mere matter of literary gymnastics.
THE PENNY i LINERS QUARTERS.
In the visit to the editorial rooms we
stopped at one room on one of the upper
floors This was the only shabby looking
room in the whole establishment. The
carpet here was worn threadbare. The
coverings to the desk were ragged. 1t
was such a break in the general character
of the institution that / involuntarily
turned toward the doctor. He glanced
quietly at a carelessly dressed young man,
who. with q silk hat on the back of his
head, was writing away for dear life, as
he said in a low tone of voice, This is the
penny n liners room. No one who works
in this room has any regular employment
or connection with The Times
''In other words, the writers who come
here prepare news articles to sell to you
at SO much n line:n
"Precisely'
''They correspond to the space writers
OF our offices. Do any of these penny a
liners ever graduate from this kind Of
work into regular employment on The
Tines
The manager said with peculiar empha-
sis: Il might say almost never"
In the composing room there was the
same silence, decorum and discipline.
There were great screens back of the
printers TO protect them and their manu-
script copy from the sight of casual pass
ers by. The cases are of dark wood. The
floors are stone. Everywhere excessive
cleanliness and order. There is no loung-
ing. The printers are obliged to put all
their outside wraps and hats in 4 check
room No article of apparel is allowed to
rest on any of the cases. The somber dig
nifty of the establishment extends to the
ccmpositors. who are not generally regard
ed in newspaper offices rs models of de-
corum. Cabinet ministers could not be
more grave or quiet in their work than
these printers. Upon the right of the
composing room are the famous typeset-
ting machines of the Office. They are
used to set up all the matter Of the paper
except the advertisements. The manager
says there is no question about the practi-
cability of the ttpesetting machines. The
trouble is wholly outside of the machines
in their being employed. From this in
ferred that it was largely question of
overcoming the printers objections TO
them. The parliamentary debates are
VI l.,